In this May 2012 file photo, Chinese students wait outside the U.S. Embassy for their visa application interviews in Beijing, China. Thousands of Chinese students are flocking to U.S. colleges and universities, helping to drive the number of international students studying in America to record levels, according to a report released Nov. 11, 2013. Photo: AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan
BEIJING - More students from China come to the United States for college than students from any other country. To get in, they must take the SAT, a standardized test required for most U.S. four-year colleges.

The test is in the process of being changed, and one of the proposed changes is worrying some people in China. ###### China is a Communist country with a very strict government. Some people in China are concerned that having these items on the SAT may spread American values among China's best and brightest students.

The U.S. ###### This will be one of several changes going into effect in spring 2016.

"Including content from America's founding documents in a revised U.S. college entry exam has drawn attention in China," China's official New China News Agency said this week. The concern, the agency explained, is that the new content could make American ideas more popular. ###### If Chinese students preparing for the SAT study American history, they may be more likely to agree with American points of view. This could cause them to start disagreeing with their own government.

Powerful Influencers

The College Board admits that the revised test will contain powerful ideas. ###### The U.S. Constitution's First Amendment, for example, discusses the rights of citizens to speak out against their government.

These are some of the values of which China's leaders are suspicious. ###### In 2012, human rights activist Xu Zhiyong started the "New Citizens' Movement." The movement argued for greater civil rights for China's 1.3 billion citizens. This January, Zhiyong was sent to prison for four years. Many believe that he was put in prison because government leaders were afraid he was turning people against them.

Could the SAT really be a similar threat? ###### These include anxiety, anger and competitiveness, depending on the person. Few Americans, however, are likely to describe the SAT as politically inspirational. Then why would China's government see it as dangerous?

The answer may have to do with familiarity. ###### They continue to be exposed to these ideas throughout their lives. By the time they study for the SAT, many students are so familiar with America's founding principles that they forget how revolutionary the ideas were when the documents were written. For students raised in different cultures and under different education systems, these ideas may still seem revolutionary.

SAT As A Brainwashing Tool?

###### No one forces the Chinese youth to take the SAT. Maybe it is the fact that the new SAT can influence so many people that makes some Chinese leaders uncomfortable.

Some Chinese intellectuals, however, have a different view. ###### Chinese students are already influenced by a lot of political teaching, they argue. If the SAT is guilty of trying to influence students' thoughts, so is China's government.

Indeed, the Chinese government works hard to shape the beliefs and values of China's youth. ###### These classes start as early as first grade.

Zhang Ming, who teaches political science at Renmin University, argues that the government should not worry about the SAT brainwashing Chinese students. Instead, it should allow students to think more freely. "I don't think they have grounds to question what's in the SAT before they cancel all the 'political classes' in Chinese schools," he said.

The Test Will Still Be Taken

###### In recent years, hundreds of thousands of Chinese families have sent their children to study in the United States and other Western countries. Since 2010, China has sent more students to the United States each year than any other country.

Many of these students take the SAT. ######]]>